The biggest band in the world - almost. As Coldplay took the stage at Dublin's Marlay Park for the first gig of their X+Y world tour, they were probably looking out of the corner of their eyes towards another quartet down the road.
The British band have made no secret of the fact that they'd like to outdo U2 and, judging from their form on this warm and clear midsummer's evening, they're well on their way to ousting our own fab four.
As the band launched into their second song, Politik, singer Chris Martin summed up the scene: "Thirty thousand people at Marlay Park," then changed the song's lyrics to "Give me Bono and Andrea Corr, Shane McGowan and Christy Moore." The crowd lapped it up like free ice cream.
Coldplay may not be as big as U2 yet, but their third album, X+Y, has performed well beyond expectations, even boosting the share price of the band's record company, EMI. It went to Number One in 26 countries including the US and the UK, and the flagship single, Speed of Sound, was the first single by a British band to debut in the US Top 10 since The Beatles.
Where Coldplay have yet to challenge U2 is in their stage show, which doesn't match the spectacle of a Zoo TV, a Popmart or even a Vertigo tour. But three albums in, the band have gathered a formidable back catalogue of hits, all of which they played last night, including Yellow, God Put A Smile On Your Face and The Scientist.
